-137.74(-1.84%)

-15.49(-0.98%)

+0.18(+0.29%)

-1.60(-0.12%)

-0.01(-0.06%)

+0.00(+0.09%)

PRESS DIGEST- British Business - Feb 4

Feb 4 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Telegraph

BARCLAYS CHIEF ANTONY JENKINS DECLINES 2.7 MLN STG BONUS

Antony Jenkins, chief executive of Barclays, has turned down an annual bonus that could have been worth as much as 2.7 million pounds ($4.41 million), saying it "would not be right" to accept the award. ()

PUBLIC TO BE OFFERED LLOYDS SHARES AS EARLY AS MARCH

The public could be offered the chance to buy shares in Lloyds Banking Group as early as next month after the taxpayer-backed lender said it was in the advanced stages of preparing a prospectus for a retail offer. ()

RANDGOLD EYES ACQUISITIONS AND HIGHER GOLD PRODUCTION

London-listed African mining company Randgold Resources is on the lookout for acquisitions and plans to increase gold production amid a better-than-expected start to the year for the precious metal. ()

AMAZON'S UK SALES SLOW AMID CALLS FOR BOYCOTT

Amazon's sales growth in Britain slowed last year amid calls from members of Parliament and consumer groups to boycott the online retailer over its low UK tax payments. ()

The Guardian

AUTONOMY'S UK PROFITS 'OVERSTATED BY 80 PCT', HEWLETT-PACKARD FINDS

Hewlett-Packard's long-running investigation into claims of accounting irregularities by the former management team of Autonomy, the British software company it bought for more than 10 billion pounds, has concluded that the firm's main UK trading company overstated profits by 80 percent and revenues by 54 percent. ()

LLOYDS PPI COMPENSATION BILL NOW CLOSE TO 10 BLN STG

Lloyds Banking Group has set aside an extra 1.8 billion pounds to compensate customers it mis-sold payment protection insurance, taking the total cost to almost 10 billion pounds. ()

The trial of senior executives at the bank that almost bankrupted Ireland begins this week with tight security around the Dublin courthouse where the men being blamed for the Irish banking crisis are to be tried. ()

The Times

RYANAIR FIGHTS BACK BY PARKING ITS AIRCRAFT IN FLAG CARRIERS' BACK YARDS

A dismal winter for Ryanair has prompted the Irish airline to plot aggressive tactics in challenging traditional flag carriers with cut-price fares at primary airports serving European capital cities. ()